If you’re worried that you’ll be as popular as a two-hour stand-by line when you have to drag your kids away from the great rides, exciting shows and all-around Disney fun to sit down at a dinner table for an hour, think again. Here are 10 restaurants in the Disney parks that the Frog Family (kids especially) absolutely loves and that are definitely worth an ADR. Even better, most of these restaurants are fairly easy to get reservations for.
As a reminder, ADRs can be booked up to 180 days in advance. For the most in-demand restaurants such as Cinderella's Royal Table and Be Our Guest, booking 180 days in advance is absolutely essential! Reservations open at 6 a.m. EST 180 days in advance on Disney’s website or at 7 a.m. EST by phone at (407) WDW-DINE.
1. Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater (Disney’s Hollywood Studios)
It’s not just the delicious milkshakes that make Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater a Frog Family favorite…it’s hopping in our convertible table, placing our order with a waiter on roller skates and watching old movie clips on the big screen in front of us.
2. Via Napoli (Epcot)
We hadn’t tried this one until so many of our Facebook friends suggested it and it looks like our friends have VERY good taste. Tad and Lily love “building their own” pizza, and I love that they don’t even realize how many vegetables they’re eating. (Fun Fact: The pizzas are cooked in authentic wood-burning ovens named after the 3 active volcanoes in Italy – Mount Etna, Mount Vesuvius and Stromboli.)
3. Coral Reef Restaurant (Epcot)
The seafood dishes like seared Scottish salmon and lobster ravioli are delicious, but what makes Coral Reef Restaurant so popular among my kids is that they’re surrounded by views of the Caribbean Coral Reef, the 5.7 million gallon salt-water aquarium in The Seas with Nemo & Friends® Attraction Pavilion.
4. Tony’s Town Square (Magic Kingdom)
If it’s not too hot out, I request a table on the porch so we can soak up all the sights and sounds of Town Square and Main Street, U.S.A. Leap always orders spaghetti so he can embarrass the Tad and Lily by re-enacting the scene from Lady and the Tramp with me, and yes, it works every time.
5. 50’s Prime Time Café (Disney’s Hollywood Studios)
Leap and I love the “TV Tables” that show clips of mid-50s sitcoms like “Father Knows Best” and the original “Mickey Mouse Club.” The kids love hearing their parents be reminded to mind our manners and keep our elbows off the table by “Mom” (our waitress). The food is classic American: fried chicken, meatloaf, pot roast and delicious.
6. Biergarten Restaurant (Epcot)
Located in the Germany Pavilion, you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into a traditional Oktoberfest at Biergarten Restaurant. It’s nice and cool, the German food is all-you-can-eat, and the entertainment is included! Oktoberfest Musikanten performs 25-minute sets (watch the video) throughout the day. Tad and Lily have no idea what it means, but they love love love raising their juice “steins” with the entire restaurant and yelling “Eins, Zwei, Drei, G’suffa!”
7. Liberty Tree Tavern (Magic Kingdom)
We think Liberty Tree Tavern has some of the best food of all the Disney restaurants. The New England-style pot roast and the tri-corner roast beef sandwich are a few of our favorite dishes. If possible, I make our reservation for a late lunch around 2 p.m. so after we’re finished eating we just step outside for a great view of the afternoon parade, Celebrate a Dream Come True.
8. Yak & Yeti Restaurant (Disney’s Animal Kingdom)
The theming of Yak & Yeti Restaurant is almost as impressive as the Asian cuisine that is served. As with most kids, Tad and Lily have more fun trying to eat their Lo Mein with chopsticks than look around at the décor, but everywhere you turn you’ll see detailed Nepalese artifacts like fine tapestries, statues and, oh yeah, 900-pound, gold inlaid puppets. (Note: If you request a table on the 2nd floor, you’ll have great views of Asia® Land down below.)
9. Les Chefs de France(Epcot)
Where else can you taste authentic French cuisine in a restaurant created by three of France’s best chefs while you’re wearing t-shirts and shorts? Leap and I love getting Tad and Lily to try new foods and Les Chefs de France is perfect for that. They are so preoccupied with Chef Remy, the 6-inch star of Ratatouille, as he makes his rounds atop a rolling chef’s cart that they don’t realize they’re eating seared scallops and duck breast.
10. Teppan Edo (Epcot)
Like many things at Epcot, Teppan Edo offers a great opportunity for kids (and adults) to learn about a different culture and taste new foods in a fun and entertaining atmosphere. The Teppan Chefs are amazingly talented as they chop, slice and dice your food right in front of you. In addition to stir-fried shellfish, meats and vegetables prepared at your table, the sushi is some of the best we’ve ever had.
Hoppy planning!
